Jeremy Vine's 9 favourite whodunnits
Broadcaster-turned-author Jeremy Vine joins us to share his top nine favourite whodunnits. In his cosy crime debut, Murder On Line One, a late-night radio host discovers that someone is targeting his loyal listeners...
"I love a whodunnit, which is why I've written my own. I used to read Agatha Christie... all through my teenage years, every one, all sixty-six. But I could never work them out. How is it, I wondered, that Agatha foxed me in every single one of her crime novels? (I tell a lie: I guessed the murderer in one, where a character was described as 'suddenly looking very tired' on page 112, and from that moment I knew he was the guilty party.)
No spoilers in the list below. Just the absolute joy of cracking yarns, appearing solvable like the best crosswords, then leaving you wondering for ages how you missed a clue so obvious." Jeremy Vine
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
You'll question whether this is a whodunnit when you see my choice, but it starts with a crime scene and has the most jaw-dropping reveal midway through.
The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
I'm rereading Agatha, and this was my most recent. I was interested to see whether she came close to the phrase 'serial killer' in this story of a geographically widespread sequence of murders.
The Red-Headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle
Everyone must have a copy of the Sherlock Holmes short stories, and this one is just beautiful.
Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor
Suspenseful plotting, driven by powerful characters – I'm a huge fan of this author. Cally's own experience of being stalked informs this novel.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I'm so sad that he never lived to see the success he became.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
A breakthrough moment in our understanding of neurodivergence, but also a great detective story.
The Cyclist by Tim Sullivan
Tim is a great writer, his central character George Cross is truly fascinating, and with this title, I just had to...
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
I'm still kicking myself for not seeing the end to this coming.
Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
A reminder that Agatha had great competition. I do like Lord Peter Wimsey, and think he could teach Poirot the occasional shortcut.
About Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine
There's a killer on the airwaves… and they're calling for you.
Darkness looms over sunny Sidmouth, when an unsolved murder comes to the attention of late-night radio talk show host Edward Temmis.
Recently sacked from his beloved job after a devastating tragedy, Edward is cast adrift – until he meets Stevie, whose grandmother, a devoted listener, died in a suspicious fire last year. Well, nobody hurts his listeners and helping Stevie might just give him the purpose he needs.
Joined by his old fling, Kim, they discover Stevie's grandmother wasn't the only one of his listeners targeted – this is just the tip of the iceberg.
But who is pursuing his ageing audience and why? And can Edward, Stevie and Kim get to the bottom of this mystery before it's too late?
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